Q&A - Will tomato hornworms infect the soil?
Question:
I saw your show about tomato horn worms. It happened to me too. I have never seen so many. They ate all the green off my tomato plants. Will tomato worms infect the dirt where they were?
Answer:
Tomato hornworms eat the tomato plants until they have had their fill. Then they drop off the plant and go into the soil where they will pupate into sphinx moths and emerge the next year. So, in a since they do “infect” the soil because they spend some of their life cycle there. Master Gardener Tom Mashour says that tilling the soil during the winter will kill 90% of the larva. Also, using Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) on the tomato plants starting in early summer will kill the worms early and prevent defoliation. BT can be applied preventatively when there has been a history of infestation or after you see some damage. As always, read and follow label directions.
Related Videos:
TWIG Tomato Hornworms
How To Stop Tomato Hornworm
Related Resources:
Hornworms and “Hummingbird” Moths
Hornworm
Tomato hornworms in home gardens
The Tomato Hornworms
I saw your show about tomato horn worms. It happened to me too. I have never seen so many. They ate all the green off my tomato plants. Will tomato worms infect the dirt where they were?
Answer:
Tomato hornworms eat the tomato plants until they have had their fill. Then they drop off the plant and go into the soil where they will pupate into sphinx moths and emerge the next year. So, in a since they do “infect” the soil because they spend some of their life cycle there. Master Gardener Tom Mashour says that tilling the soil during the winter will kill 90% of the larva. Also, using Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) on the tomato plants starting in early summer will kill the worms early and prevent defoliation. BT can be applied preventatively when there has been a history of infestation or after you see some damage. As always, read and follow label directions.
Related Videos:
TWIG Tomato Hornworms
How To Stop Tomato Hornworm
Related Resources:
Hornworms and “Hummingbird” Moths
Hornworm
Tomato hornworms in home gardens
The Tomato Hornworms